Various systems are known in the art for assisting with the traditionally manual procedure of docking a vessel for loading and unloading. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000292540 describes a system to provide such a means that can measure the berthing speed of a vessel by automatically detecting the vessel, at a low cost with a relatively simple constitution. A laser sensor installed to a quay is mounted on a turntable for controlling the direction of the sensor and, at the time of scanning, the turntable changes the angle of the sensor in the vertical direction within the laser beam axis moving range between a laser beam irradiation axis along which the position of a vessel can be detected at high tide and another laser beam irradiation axis along which the position of the vessel can be detected at low tide so that the sensor may detect the vessel by changing the laser beam irradiation axis of the sensor even when the position of the vessel changes in the vertical direction. Then the berthing speed of the vessel is measured by fixing the laser beam irradiation axis at the position at which the sensor detects the vessel. When the measurement is omitted while the vessel comes alongside the quay, the position of the vessel is detected by again moving the sensor.
In a further example U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,665 describes a system for detecting, identifying and docking aircraft using laser pulses to obtain a profile of an object in the distance. The system initially scans the area in front of the gate until it locates and identifies an object. Once the identity of the object is known, the system tracks the object. By using the information from the profile, the system can in real time display the type of airplane, the distance from the stopping point and the lateral position of the airplane.
In still a further example Japanese Patent Publication No. 4303706 describes a system to detect the position of a ship which is changed by the ebb and flow of tide and the amount of unloading of bulk material in the unloading work of the ship in real time without contact and without much effort. A laser range finder is attached to cargo handling equipment such an unloader. A light beam is made to scan up and down toward a ship which is approaching a pier. Among the results of the measurements of distances, the value indicating the shortest distance becomes the distance to the corner part of broadside of the ship. Therefore, the horizontal distance and the vertical distance of the ship with respect to the cargo handling equipment can be computed based on the distance and the up and down angle of the beam. When the cargo handling equipment is controlled with the horizontal distance and the vertical distance as the operating data, the equipment can be operated so that the scraping part at the tip of the cargo handling equipment and the like do not hit the bottom of the ship.
In still a further example U.S. Pat. No. 3,594,716 describes a system where a vessel docking system employs transmitting and receiving transducers for developing Doppler frequency shifted signals indicative of velocity components along particular ship's axes. The signals are converted to digital form, and processed to yield speed and direction information along the sensed axes. The velocity information is corrected to compensate for variations in the acoustical propagating characteristic of the ocean medium.
In still a further example U.S. Pat. No. 3,690,767 describes a docking system for large ocean-going vessels, which comprises a laser pulse range radar system having a laser transmitter and receiver, a retroreflector, and receiving and transmitting optics. Two such systems are disposed on a dock. The retroreflectors are disposed on the bow and stern of a vessel. The laser systems share a time interval meter, a computer, and a display panel. The lasers track the retroreflectors as the ship approaches the dock, and the time interval between the transmitted and received pulses is measured. Computations are made and the velocity of the approaching vessel, its distance from the dock, and the vessel position with reference to the dock are continually displayed. This information is then transmitted to the ship's captain.
In still a further example U.S. Pat. No. 3,707,717 describes a system that has been provided for generating correction command signals relative to the berthing velocity profile of a vehicle in approach of a docking position. A doppler radar system including a radar transceiver projects signals between the docking position and the vehicle and respondingly generates doppler shift frequency signals indicative of the velocity of the vehicle and the relative displacement thereof. A radar counter having preset initial counts stored therein indicative of anticipated initial berthing conditions, responds to the frequency shift signals by counting down from the initial counts in accordance with the doppler shift. Means is included for updating the radar counter in accordance with actual conditions and includes a sonic detector which periodically projects sonic signals between the vehicle and the docking position and respondingly generates corrected count signals in accordance with the reflected sonic energy, indicative of actual distance of the vehicle to the docking position. Means is utilized which periodically transfers the corrected count signals to the radar counter, correcting for errors between actual and preset initial conditions. A velocity profile generator responds to the radar counter output and generates a programmed desired berthing velocity profile which a comparator responds to the velocity profile generator and the counter for generating command signals indicative of any discrepancy between the actual and desired vehicle berthing profile.
In still a further example U.S. Pat. No. 3,754,247 describes a display apparatus which produces a display of a ship, a line representing an intended berth and indicators whose separation from the berth marker line represents the deviation of the closing rate of an associated part of the ship from a value determined by a function generator which generates an optimum function from signals representing the distance of the part of the ship from the berth.
In still a further example U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,936 describes a navigational aid system including a microprocessor having peripheral memory devices and being programmed by a read only memory, the system including sensors for measuring variable parameters and thumb switches for inserting known fixed data, and the microprocessor computing from such parameters and data readout data needed for optimum navigation taking into account such factors as leeway and current set and drift, the system having switches to select which data is displayed as the switches are sequentially polled, and the displayed data being accompanied by alpha indicia uniquely identifying each displayed numeric value.
In still a further example U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,378 describes a relative velocity indicator system for assistance in the docking of vessels uses a radar sensor providing a relative velocity signal indicative of the relative velocity between a ship and a reference, such as a dock. A wireless transmitter associated with the radar sensor receives said relative velocity signal and transmits a signal indicative of said relative velocity signal. A portable receiver and indicator unit carried by the captain of the vessel has a receiver for receiving the transmitted signal and an indicator arranged to receive, from said receiver, a receiver signal indicative of the transmitted signal and, thereby, of the relative velocity signal for indicating the relative velocity between ship and reference.
In still a further example U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,515 describes a docking information system for assistance in the docking of vessels uses sensors providing information indicative of the relationship between a ship and a reference, such as a dock, a coast line, a river bank, docks, bends and docking areas. A computer coordinates the information. A wireless transmitter associated with the computer transmits signals indicative of the information. A portable receiver and indicator carried by the captain of the vessel has a receiver for receiving the transmitted signals and an indicator screen to display the information. The remote receivers also include fixed monitors on the ship and on shore, and telephones on the ship which communicate with the computer and into the telephone link with shore-based communications.
In still a further example U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,665, an improved method and apparatus provide a control of the vessel maneuvering by a determination and displaying of the dangerous relative course zones, wherein the end of the vessel speed-vector should not be located for the object evasion tactic maneuvering and/or collision avoidance maneuvering and should be located for the object pursuit and/or interception tactic maneuvering. The apparatus comprises an object disposition evaluator, a control system, a dangerous criteria setting system, an initial data processor, at least one display and a dangerous relative course zone determiner, including an interface-signal distributor, a logic processor and signal distributor and a data processing system, comprising a trigonometric function processor, a summator, a multiplier-divider and a data processor. The dangerous relative course zones are displayed on at least one indicator, proving the operator with the possibility to evaluate the danger approach situation and instantly select the anti-collision maneuver for collision preventive maneuvering and/or select an optimal maneuver for the assigned vessel tactic maneuvering execution.
In still a further example U.S. Pat. No. 6,677,889, a auto-docking system has been provided that can automatically dock a ship. The auto-docking system provides a close in radar system and a secondary propulsion system that is under control of a docking processor.
In still a further example Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-187873 describes a system to achieve automation and labor saving in the operation necessary for alongside pier of a ship by perform a docking operation based on a video and the distance of a target object obtained with a TV camera and a laser distance measuring device set on the ship. A signal processor processes a video signal of a target object taken with a TV camera and a signal of the distance thereof measured with a laser distance measuring device according to a program previously memorized to analyze the positional relationship between the target object and the ship, which enables as accurate determination of the target object in real time. The signal processor also outputs a docking command based on the positional relationship between the target object and the ship while outputting a signal to operate a mooring device such as a winch.
In still a further example U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,240 describes an electronic docking system utilizing a multiplicity of sensing subsystems to derive and display docking parameters during the docking operation. The parameters displayed include bow and stern velocities ship's velocity perpendicular and parallel to the jetty and ship's orientation to the jetty during the docking maneuver. Parameters are derived from data gathered by sensors that include a receive only monopulse and a receive only doppler system which determine the angular position of a selected reference location aboard the ship and a signal with a frequency representative of the ship's velocity from a signal radiated from a beacon antenna aboard the ship. Range measurements are accomplished by utilizing baseband pulse radar systems capable of determining range to accuracies in the order of one foot. A telemetry link between the ship and the shore based system provides a means for simultaneously displaying data on board and on land and for relaying docking commands from the jetty master to the docking pilot.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a scanning system which overcomes a disadvantage in the prior art or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.